Automatic stop mechanism for looms



. V x- ,AF Dec. 5, 1939. K. HAUSEMLAN 2,132,149

AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Nov. 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ii'w'n llaw'eman Dec. 5, 1939. 1. K. HAUSEMAN AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS v 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov; 29, -193'? Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .wrom'no s'ror MECHANISM FOR rooms Irvin- K. Hauleman, Pottltown, Pa. Application November 29, 1937, Serial No. 111,149

19 Claims. (01.. 139-355) 1 This invention relates to automatic stop mechanisms for looms and more particularly to a stop mechanism operated by means associated with the heddle frames to'stop the loom whenever a 5 warp thread breaks or becomes abnormally slack. More specifically, the invention relates ,to a means associated with a heddle frame and operable in response to a broken or excessively slack warp thread to close an electric circuit and thereby operate a magnetic clutch or other control device which will immediately and automatically stop the loom. Such stopping of a loom prevents waste, saves time, and assures the production of a woven product free from defects.

Automatic mechanisms for stopping looms have been used heretofore with varying degrees of success. However, insofar as is known, none ofv these has ever been designed to facilitate the I. quick location of a broken or slack warp thread.

One of the features and advantages of the present invention is that it provides relatively simple means for enabling a loom operator or weaver to immediately locate a broken or slack warp 25 thread. This feature results in the saving of the time normally wasted by the weaver in searching for the heddle whose thread is responsible for stopping of the loom. According to the present invention, such heddle will visibly project above the remaining heddles and hence can be instantly located by the weaver.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved means for use in a loom for stopping said loom whenever a warp thread breaks or becomes excessively slack.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means associated with a heddle frame for completing an electric circuit which will stop theloom when any'thread controlled by the particular heddle frame is broken or becomes unduly slack.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means which will enable a. weaver to instantly locate a heddle which has a broken or slack thread and thereby save the time usually expended in an effort to locate such heddle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved heddle which will function to com- 50 plete a circuit for stopping a loom when the warp thread controlled thereby is too slack or is broken. g

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved heddle which will automatically serve as asign'al to indicate that the warp thread controlled thereby is broken or is excessively slack. 1

A still. further object of the invention is to provide a readily shiftable clamp means adapted to avoid the sagging of the heddle supporting 5 bars normally caused by the weight of the heddles and the tension of the warp threads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompany- 10 mg drawings in which:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the invention applied to one heddle frame of a loom;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2'of Figure 1 showing the improved shiftable clamp means for supporting and taking the sag out of th'e heddle supporting bars. In this view, however, the latch of the clamp is shown in open position; I

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the shiftable 2o clamp shown in Figure 2;

j Figures. i, 5 and 6, respectively, are diagrammatic views illustrating'various positions which a heddle may assume relatively to its supporting bars; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an element for retaining the contact supporting bracket arms shown in Figure 1 in adjusted position.

Referringparticularly to Figure 1 of the drawings, a heddle frame is generally designated by the numeral I. This frame comprises a top rail 2 and a bottom rail 3. These rails are preferably made of wood for the sake of lightness. The rails 2 and '3 are connected at their ends by vertically extending metallic struts 4 and 5 which maintain the rails in rigid spaced relation. The rails 2 and 3 are provided with books 6 and 3, respectively, which afford means for connecting the heddle frame '-'I to the harness operating mechanism of the-loom (not shown). 40

A heddle supporting bar 8 is located adjacent the top rail 2 and the opposite ends thereof project through openings 9 in the side struts 4 and 5. The lower edge of the heddle supporting bar ii is provided with a bead III, the important purpose of which will be set out more fully hereinafter. A second heddle supporting. bar II is located'adjacent the lower end of the heddle frame I near the bottom rail 3, and the opposite ends thereof project through openings 12 in the side strutsso 4 and 5. A rigid rod I3 is secured by screw eyes M to one longitudinal edge of the upper rail 2, and a similar rod I6 is secured by screw eyes i! to one longitudinal edge of the .bottom .rail 3. The 5 As shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3, the

clamping means comprises a bar 28 which has an aperture 2| at one end thereof for receiving one of the rods l3 or IS. The lower end of the bar 28 is cut away as indicated at 22 to provide a notch or recess 23 for receiving one of the heddle supporting bars 8 or H. In the present instance, the upper heddle supporting bar 8 is shown seated in the recess 23 with the bead l8 thereof engaging a bottom portion 24 of. said recess and the upper edge |8 thereof in engagement with a shoulder 25 formed at the upper portion of said recess. The heddle supporting bar 8 is retained in the recess 23 by a latch'26 which is pivotally mounted upon the bar 28 by a pin 2?. The latch 26 is provided with a recess 28 which has shoulders 29 and 38 adapted to engage the upper and lower edges l8 and I8, re-

j spectively, of the heddle supporting bar 8. The

lower end of the latch 26 is provided with a transverse projection 3| which cooperates with a recess 32 formed in the lower end of the bar 28 to retain the latch 26 in locked position. The

' latch 26 is preferably made of some resilient material which will permit the end thereof carrying the projection 3| to be sprung away from the bar 28 to facilitate locking and release of said latch.

It will be clear from the foregoing, that when l the latch 26 is in locked position, the heddle supporting bar 8 will positively be prevented from moving vertically relatively to the supporting clamp by reason of the engagement of the shoulders 25 and 29 with the upper edge |8 thereof and engagement of the shoulders 24 and 38 with the lower edge l8 thereof. It will be further apparent, that'when it is desired to shift the clamp 21 from one position to another along the heddle supporting bar 8, it is only necessary to release the latch 26 and to spring the heddle supporting bar 8 upwardly to such an extent as to clear. the projection 33 of the cut-away portion 22. The clamp I! may then be shifted longitudinally along therod |3 to any desired position and attached to said heddle supporting bar between any pair of heddles l8 and secured in such position by returning the latch 26 to its locking position.

It is desirable that the heddle supporting bars 8 and II not only be retained against longitudinal sagging but also be prevented from flexing laterally. In order to accomplish the latter, a spring 34 is mounted so that one end thereof 35 is relatively, fixed with respect to the side struts 4 and 5 and the opposite end 36 thereof extends into a. recess 31 formed in the opposite ends of the heddle supporting bar 8. The tension of the springs 34 is such that it places the heddle supporting bar 8 under longitudinal tension and thus maintains said bar in a taut and rigid condition. The lower heddle suportin'g bar II is maintained taut by springs 38 similar to the springs 34. i

One of the heddles is shown in enlarged detail in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Each of the heddles is provided at its upper end with an elongated opening 48 having an upper series of arcuate projections 4| extending toward each other from the opposite side walls thereof and a second series of similar arcuate projections 42 disposed adjacent to and belowlthe'projections 4|. The arcuate projections 4| and 42 are-adapted to cooperate with the beaded portion |8 of the upper heddle supporting bar 8 in a manner to retain a heddle in raised. position above the remaining heddles in the event that the thread controlled by the par ticular heddle breaks or becomes excessively slack, all in a manner which will be fully set out hereinafter. N

Each ofthe heddles i9 is provided adjacent its lower end with another elongated opening 45. This opening has plain sides in contrast to the sides of the upper'opening 48. The lower opening 45 is adapted to receive the lower heddle supporting bar Intermediate the openings 48 and 45, each of the heddles is provided with an eye 46 through which a warp thread (not shown) is threaded.

Each of the heddles i9 is alsoprovided intermediate the openings 48 and 45, .and above the eye 66, with an elongated slot.4'| of such dimensions as to slidably and snugly receive therein a contact bar 48. This contact bar is arranged so that it passes through the slot 41 of each of the heddles 9.

Reverting to Figure 1, the contact bar 48 is so arranged with respect to the heddle frame I that the opposite ends 49 and 58 thereof extend through recesses 5| and 52 formed in the side struts 4 and 5, respectively, and permit said contact bar to slide vertically relatively to said side struts. The ends 49 and 58 of the contact bar 4.8 are connected with brackets 53 and 54 secured to the side struts, by tension springs 55 and 56, respectively, which continuous-1y tend to urge'said contact bar into engagement with the upper end walls of the recesses 5| and 52. The purpose of the springs 55 and 56- is to facilitate the return of the heddles l9 to their raised or uppermost position when the heddle frame I is lowered by the loom harness. This is done through engagement of the top face contact bar 48 with the upper end walls 51 of the slots 41. clear that the tension of the warp threads will also tend to return said heddles to their relatively raised position and that the pull exerted by the springs 55 and 56 supplements that of the tension of the warp threads.

The contact bar 48 is provided with a channel 58 extending into one longitudinal edge thereof.

It will be A strip of insulating material 58 of U-shape in member terminates in a projection 64 located adjacentthe notch 63.

'- The .projection 64 of the contact bar 88 is arranged to engage a contact 65 carried by a bracket 66 secured to the side strut 5. A spring 6.1 is interposed between the contact 65 and the A contogether by a bolt 88 which projects through the bracket 88 and permits said contact to yield slightly when engaged by the projection 88. The bracket 88 is insulated from the side strut 5 by an insulating member 88 and is secured to said strut by screws 88 which are insulated from the bracket by short tubular non-metallic sleeves I8. The bracket 88 is provided with a vertically extending portion II which carries a wear strip I2 insulated from said vertical portion by apiece of insulating material I8. The parts 12 and 18 are secured to the portion II by screws I8 which are insulated from said portion by non-metallic sleeves I5. The purpose of the wear strip 12 is v to prevent the end 58 of the contact bar 88 from engaging theportion II of the bracket 88 and inadvertently completing the circuit to stop the loom. A further purpose of the strip I2 is to assure that the projecting portion 88 of the contact strip 88 will be guided so as to properly engage the contact 85. I

The bracket 88 is further provided with a horizontal projection 15 extending laterally from the vertical portion The horizontal projection I5 carries a contact member 18 resiliently supported by a spring 11. The contact I8 is adapted to engage a. metallic contact I8 which is carried by a plunger member I8 insulated from the contact 18 by a strip of insulating material 88. The plunger I8 is slidably mounted in one end of a bracket 8| and is resiliently supported by a spring 82. The bracket 8| is supported by a second bracket member 82 secured to one side frame 88 of the loom. The brackets 8| and 82 are provided with elongated slots 88 and 85, respectively, which permit longitudinal and transverse adjustment of the bracket 8| with respect to the bracket 82. The brackets 8| and 82 are clamped elongated openings 88 and 85. This bolt is provided with a square shank 81, see Figure "l, which prevents turning of the bracket members 8| and 82 relatively to each other.

A pair of brackets 88 and 88 corr'wponding to the brackets 8| and 82, respectively, is mounted upon the other side frame 88 of the loom. The brackets 88 and 88 are relatively adjustable with respectto each other and may be locked in any desired position of adjustment by a bolt 8| having a square shank 81 similar to that of the bolt 88. The bracket member 88 carries a contact 82 which is movable relatively thereto but is maintained spaced therefrom by a compression spring 88. The contact 82 engages a cooperating contact 88 which is carried by a bracket 85 similar to the bracket 88. However, in contrast with the bracket 88, the bracket 85 is not insulated from the side strut 8 but is directly connected thereto by screws 88. The contact 88 is associated with a spring 81 which yieldably supports the same relatively to the bracket 85. Still another contact 88 is carried by the bracket 85 and is arranged to be engaged by the end 88 of the contact bar 88. The contact 88 is yieldably supportedon the bracket 85 by means of a compression spring 88.

A'wire |8| is connected to the insulated contact I8, and a second wire I82 is connected to the contact 82. The wires IM and I82 form part of an electrical circuit which may include as a part thereof, some means, such as a magnetic clutch, for stopping the operation of the loom whenever the circuit is established or completed. In accordance with the present invention, such circuit is completed whenever a warp thread breaks'or is excessively slack. The manner in which the circuit is completed under the conditions specified, will now be explained.

It will be assumed that each of the heddles I8 has a warp thread extending through its eye 88 and that the warp thread extending through one 1, is either broken or abnormally slack. when the heddle frame I is raised such warp thread will permit the heddle I8 to move upwardly along with said heddle frame. This upward movement occurs by virtue of the engagement ofthe lower arcuate projections 82 of the heddle I8 with the beaded portion I8 of the heddle supporting bar 8. Since the thread associated with heddle l8 does not in any way restrain said upward movement, said heddle will, of course, be free to rise with and be supported by the bead I8 of theheddle supporting bar 8 upon raising of the heddle frame. At the same time, the normal tension of the warp threads associated with the remaining heddles I8 will tend to reof said heddles, for example, heddle I8 of Figure strain upward movement of said heddles during.

the raising of said heddle frame. The result of this is that the beaded portion I8 of the heddle supporting bar 8 will move upwardly relatively to the heddles I8, sliding past the projections 8| and 82 until the end walls 51 of the slots 81 of the heddles engage with the upper face of said contact bar 88. Upon' such engagement, the contact bar will be restrained against upward movement until the projection 88 of the contact strip 88 is brought into engagement with the contact 85 and the end 88 of the contact bar 88 is brought into engagement with the contact 88.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the tension of the warp threads of the heddles I8 is.

sufficient to overcome the resistance oflered by the arcuate projections 82 and 8| to the upward passage therebetween of the heddle supporting bar 8 and its beadedportion I8. The passage of said beaded portion between the projections 82 and M is permitted by the flexible construction of the upper end of the heddles which provides for flexing of the longitudinal-walls defining the apertures 88 to thereby permit aslight spreading apart of said walls when the beaded portion I8 engages the projections 82 and 8|. It will be further apparent thatv the tension of the warp threads of the heddles I8 is also such as to overcome the tension of the springs 55 and 58 so that the contact bar 88 and the contact strip 88 will be restrained to engage the yieldable contacts 85 and 88 carried by the heddle frame I, as aforedescribed. I 1

With the warp heddle I8 supported by the bead I8 and being raised as the heddle frame I is elevated, and the remaining warp heddles I8 restraining the contact bar 88 from moving up wardly with said heddle frame, it will be obvious that the contact strip88 will be brought into engagement with the lower end wall I88 of the elongated slot 81 of the heddle I8 to thus establish an electrical connection between said contact I strip and the contact bar .88, as illustrated in Figure 5. Due to, theresilient nature of the heddle material, the projections 82,0ffer such impedanee or resistance to the downward movement of the,heddle I8 over the bead. I8 that the contact, strip 88 engages the lower end wall I88 with sufllcient pressureto insure establishment of the desired circuit. Inthe event that the contact bar 88 pulls the projections 82 past the head I8, the heddle I8 will not drop by gravity but will be held raised by the frictional engagement of the projections ti with the bar 8, as clearly shown in Figure 6.

As will be apparent to those familiar with the weaving art,-the heddle frame I is raised and lowered at proper intervals by a suitable harness (not shown). According to the present invention, the heddle frame is elevated to such position that the contacts 16 and 98 carried thereby engage the contacts 18 and 92, respectively, carried by the loom frame, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The electrical connection between the contact bar 68 and the strip 60 through the heddle l9, and the engagement of said bar and strip with the contacts 65 and 98, respectively, is-preferably establishedjust before the contacts 16 and 94 of the heddle frame. engage the contacts 18 and 92, respectively. With the engagement of the parts as described above, it will be apparent that an electrical circuit will be completed between the wires ifil and I02, and that as a result thereof any suitable means associated with the loom and'circuit will be. actuated to stop the loom. a

It will be clear that the heddle 89 will project above the remaining heddles l9, as shown in Figure 1, when the loom is stopped, thus enabling the operator to instantly locate the heddle which is responsible for the stopping of the loom.

Upon restarting of the loom, or upon any lowering of the heddle frame i by the harness, the tension on the springs 55 and 56 will be released and these springs will slide the contact bar 458 upwardly relatively to said frame and as a result of the engagement of the upper face of the contact bar 48 with the upper end wall 51 of the elongated recesses 41, the warp heddles l9 will be urged upwardly. Such engagement of the contact bar said supporting bar.

is illustrated in Figure 4. In order for the heddles l9 to be moved upwardly with respect to the supporting bar 8, it will be obvious that the side walls defining the elongated apertures 40 must be again sprung apart sufliciently to permit the projections 4i and 42 to pass the beaded portion ill of The upward movement of the bar 48' relatively to the heddle frame is limited by the end walls of the recesses i and '52 of the side struts 4 and 5, respectively.

While the stop mechanism has been described with reference to one heddle frame, it is to be understood that each heddle frame of a given loom is to be similarly equipped so that the loom can be stopped by the excess slack or breakage of any warp thread. It is to be further understood that in lieu of providing individual contacts on the loom frame for each heddle. frame, suitable contact bars adapted to be engaged by a plurality of heddle frames may be used. Likewise it is to be still further understood that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement of contacts shown, and further, that the invention may be practiced with a contact bar and with heddles provided with means for impeding the vertical movement thereof relatively to a supporting bar difierent from the specific forms disclosed herein. Thus, numerous modifications and changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the annexed claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a warp heddle having an opening, a heddle supporting bar extending through said opening, and cooperating surfaces on said warp heddle and said heddle supporting bar arranged and constructed to maintain said warp heddle in raised position relative to said cooperable to maintain said warp heddle supDQrting bar when a warp thread va ssociated with said warp heddle becomes broken or unduly slack.

2. In combination, a warp heddle having an opening, and a heddle supporting bar arranged in said opening, said warp heddle normally being vertically movable with respect to said beddle supporting bar, said heddle having means co-- ing bar when a thread controlled thereby. is

broken or unduly slack.

4. In combination, a warp heddle having an opening, and a heddle supporting bar operably disposed in said opening, said heddle normally being vertically movable with respect to said heddle supporting bar, said warp heddle andsaid heddle supporting her having means. mutually heddle in raised position relative to said heddle supporting bar when a warp thread associated with said heddle becomes broken or unduly slack.

5. Means for use in looms comprising a warp heddle having an opening, and a heddle supporting bar extending through said opening, said heddle supporting bar having a beaded portion and said warp heddle having means cooperating with .said beaded portion for maintaining said warp heddle in raised position relative to said heddle supp rting bar-when a warp thread associated with said heddle becomes broken or unduly slack.

6. Means for use in looms comprising a warp heddle having an opening, and a heddle supporting bar disposed in said opening, said heddle support bar having a beaded portion, and said warp h F e-having av projection cooperating with i said beaded portion for maintaining said warp heddle in raised position relative to said heddle supporting bar when a warp thread associated with said heddle becomes broken or unduly slack.

7. A heddle for use with a heddle supporting bar in a loom to control a warp thread, comprising a thin strip of resilient materialhaving anv opening defined by oposed end and side walls, at least one of said side walls being provided with a projection extending toward the opposite side wall and cooperable with such heddle supporting bar, whereby to maintain said heddle in raised position relatively to such heddle supporting bar when a thread controlled by said heddle breaks or becomes unduly slack.

8- In a loom, harness, a frame, a pair ofbars extending across said frame, a plurality of warp heddles mounted on said bars andnormally vertically movable relatively to said frame, each of said warp heddles. having elongated openings re.- ceiving said bars, and means for frictionally preventing vertical downward movement of said warp heddles by gravity, to at least one of said bars when a thread controlled by a given heddle becomes broken or unduly slack. V 9. In a loom harness, a frame comprising top and bottom rails and metallic side struts conrespectively, relatively" said side struts, a plurality of warp heddles supported by said bars and movable vertically with respect thereto, each of said warp'heddles having an elongated slot, a contact bar slidable vertically relatively to said side struts and said warp heddles and extending through said elongated slots, the sides defining said elongated slots being in snug engagement with said contact bar, and means carried by said frame and-connected with said contact bar tending to urge said contact bar into engagement with the upper end walls of said elongated slots, whereby to facilitate the return of the warp heddles to their raised or uppermost position when said heddle frame is lowered by a loom harness.-

10. Means for establishing an electric circu for stopping a loom. comprising: a frame having top and bottom rails and side struts connectin said rails, a pair of bars disposed between said side struts, a plurality of warp heddles supported by said side struts and normally movable vertically with respect thereto, each of said warp heddles having an elongated slot, a contact bar slidable vertically relatively to said side struts and said warp heddles and extending through said elongated slots, the sides defining said slots being in snug engagement with said contact bar, said contact bar comprising a channeled memfor stopping a loom, comprising: a heddle frame,

a pair of bars mounted in said frame, a plurality of warp heddles supported by said bars and movable vertically with respect thereto, each of said warp heddles having an elongated opening, a contact bar slidable vertically relatively-to said frame and said warp heddles, said contact bar extending through said elongated openings, said contact bar comprising a channeled member, a contact strip, and means insulating said channeled member from said contact strip, the sides defining said elongated opening being in sung engagement with said channeled member, and contacts carried by said frame arranged tobeengaged by said contact bar upon upward movement of said heddle frame, said contact strip being arranged to engage a lower end wall of the elongated opening of any warp heddle whose thread is broken or is abnormally slack to thereby complete an electrical connection between said contact strip and said channeled member.

12. In combination, a heddle frame comprising top and bottom rails and side struts connecting said rails, said side struts being provided with aligned elongated openings; a plurality of warp heddles between said side struts, each of said heddles having an elongated opening; a contact bar extending through the openings of said side that one contact member isengaged by said sion of the threads associated with said warp heddles.

13. A heddle frame comprising top and bottom rails and side struts connecting said rails, said side struts being provided with aligned elongated openings, a contact bar extending through said openings, said contact bar comprising'a channeled member. a contact strip, and means insulating said channeled member from said contact strip, bars extending between said sidestruts, a plurality of warp heddles supported by said bars and each provided with an opening to receive said contact bar, and contact members carried by said struts, one of said contact members being arranged to be engaged by said channeled member and the other of said contact members being arranged to be engaged by said contact strip, said contact bar being arranged to be lowered relatively to said side struts by said heddles, upon upward movement of said frame, to engage said contacts.

14. Means for establishing an electrical circuit for stopping a loom, comprising: a frame, a plurality of warp heddles, each of said warp heddles having an elongated slot, means supporting said heddles in said frame so that they can move vertically relatively thereto, contact members carried by said frame, a contact bar'disposed transversely of said frame and extending through said elongated slots and having end portions arranged to engage said contact members, said contact bar being arranged to engage with said contact members when said heddle frame is raised, said contact-bar being engageable by the upper end walls of said elongated slots and movable vertically with respect to said frame by saidheddles, the lower end walls of said slots normally being free from engagement with said contact bar but being engageable therewith to establish an electric circuit when a warp thread controlled by any one of said heddles breaks or becomes unduly slack.

15. A mechanism for completing an electric circuit to thereby stop a loom, cbmprising: a pair of loom side frames, a heddle frame vertically movable with respect to said loom side frames. contact members carried by said heddle frame and said loom frames arranged to mutually engage to establish an electric circuit'as the heddle frame nears its upper limit of movement, a plurality of warp heddles carried by said heddle frame, and means constructed and arranged so that when a warp thread controlled by one of said tively thereto, and a contact bar slidably mount ed in said frame and extending through said elongated slots, said contact bar being engageable by the upper end wall of each said slots and movable vertically with respect to said frame byv said warp heddles when said frame raises the warp heddles against the tension of the warp threads, said heddle supporting means including instrumentalities for restraining free downward movement of a warp heddie whose thread is broken or unduly slack, the lower end wall of each of said slots of said warp heddles normally being free from engagement with said contact bar but being engageable therewith when down ward movement thereof is restrained by said instrumentalities.

17. Means for establishing an electric circuit for stopping a loom, comprising: a frame, contact members carried by said frame, heddle supporting bars extending across said frame, a piniality of warp heddles supported bysald bars and movable vertically with respect to said frame, .each of said warp heddles having an elongated slot and an opening for a warp thread normally under tension, and a contact bar operatively associated with said contact members, saidcontact bar being slidably mounted in said frame and extending through said elongated slots, said contact bar being engageable by the upper end wall of said slots and movable vertically with respect to said frame by said warp heddles into engagement with said contact members when said frame raises the warp heddles against the tension of the warp ,threads,said warp heddles including .means cooperating with said supporting bars for restraining free vertical movement of a warp heddle whose thread is broken or unduly slack.

frame and bars, each of said warp heddles hava en ne ing an elongated slot and an opening for a warp thread normally under tension, a contact bar operatively associated with said contact members and including an upper metallic channel member and a lower contact strip insulated from said channel member, said channel member and contact strip each being aranged to engage a separate contact member, said contact bar being slidably mounted in said frame and extending 1 through the elongated slots of said warp heddles,

said contact her being engageable by the upper end walls of said elongated slots and movable vertically with'respect to said frame by said heddles into engagement with said contact members when said frame raises the warpheddles against the tension of the warp threads, said warp heddies including means cooperating with said supporting bars for restraining free vertical movement of a warp heddle whose thread is broken or unduly slack, the lower end walls of said slots normally being free of engagement with said contact bar but being engageable therewith to complete an electric circuit between said channel member and contact strip when a warp thread controlled by any one of said heddles breaks or becomes unduly slack.

' 19. In combination, a warp heddle comprising a thin strip of resilient material having an opening defined by opposed end and side walls, at least one of said side walls being provided with a pro? jection extending toward the opposite side wall;

and a heddle supporting bar extending through said opening in said warp heddle, said heddle normally being vertically movable relative to said supporting bar, said projection of said heddle being arranged to maintain saidheddle in raised position relative to said heddle supporting bar when a. thread controlled by said warp heddle breaks or becomes unduly slack.

IRVIN K. HAUSEMAN. 

